Alabama falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to obesity rates in the United States, according to a new survey by Gallup and Healthways. 28.1% of Alabamians are obese, as computed by respondents’ self-reported height and weight. Individuals with a body mass index of 30 or higher are considered obese.
Alabama actually fared rather well compared to other southern states. Mississippi (35.4%), Louisiana (32.7%), Arkansas (32.3%), South Carolina (31.4%) and Tennessee (31.3%) all have obesity rates significantly higher than Alabama’s.
Montana is the only state in the nation in which less than 1 out of 5 people is obese.
Here’s the list of the most obese states:
Mississippi — 35.4%
West Virginia — 34.4%
Delaware — 34.3%
Louisiana — 32.7%
Arkansas — 32.3%
South Carolina — 31.4%
Tennessee — 31.3%
Ohio — 30.9%
Kentucky — 30.6%
Oklahoma — 30.5%
And here are the least obese states:
Montana — 19.6%
Colorado — 20.4%
Nevada — 21.1%
Minnesota — 22.0%
Massachusetts — 22.2%
Connecticut — 23.2%
New Mexico — 23.5%
California — 23.6%
Hawaii — 23.7%
New York — 24.0%
Unsurprisingly, people in least obese states are typically much healthier than those living in the most obese states.
But in spite of the health concerns, Americans don’t seem to be slimming down.
27.1% of the US population is obese, which is up from 26.2% in 2012 and 25.5% when Gallup first conducted the survey in 2008.
A medical journal study published in 2012 estimated that “while America holds about 5 percent of the world’s adult population, it accounts for about a third of the excess weight because of obesity.”
“While there are a variety of factors that are often correlated with rising obesity rates, such as an unhealthy food environment, poor eating habits, increasing portion sizes, and inactivity, experts agree that the health consequences of obesity are real,” Dr. James E. Pope, Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer at Healthways said. “Research has shown that the average healthcare costs for an obese individual are over $1,300 more annually than someone who is not obese. Although slowing and even reversing this trend may seem daunting, even modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of initial body weight can lower the health risks associated with obesity.”
The above results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey Jan. 2-Dec. 29, 2013, with a random sample of 178,072 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
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